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(No Model.)

W. B. WOODBRIDGE.

WIRE TENSION APPARATUS.

Patented May 5; 1885.

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INVENTOH' WITNESSES;

N. PETERS. PN710-Lilhn rAphen Wahinmn. D4 (1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM E. W'OODBRIDGE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WIRE-TENSION APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,267, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed November 18. 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM: E. W001)- BRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Tension Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to facilitate the winding of wire upon guns or other objects; and it consists of means for adjusting and automatically regulating the tension at which the wire is to be wound. The apparatus which I have devised for this purpose is illustrated in the accompanying. drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side view in elevation; Fig. 2, a plan; Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, views in detail of certain portions of the apparatus, and Fig. 7 a diagram showing the relation of the apparatus to the object to be wound.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine; W, the wire led from a reel in the direction indicated by the arrows, and B aring or wheel pivoted to the frame at the point 1), around which ring the wire is given two or three turns.

0 is a sliding pressure distributing and checking device composed of two plates, 0 and 0, each provided with a central grooved elongated block, 0 0 forming apath for the wire.

Beneath the bed of the blocks, and within a recess, 0, cut for that purpose in each of the plates, is placed a filling of some liquid or of soft rubber, for the purpose of distributing the pressure on the wire, as hereinafter described.

The plates 0 c are held together by a strap, 00, and the lower plate slides in a way out in a. block, Y, forming a part of the frame. It is connected to the ring B by two horizontal arms, D, bolted to the sides of the lower plate, then forked and secured to both sides of the ring B by the bolt e.

Also pivoted to the ring 13, at f, is a vertical rod, G, provided at its upper end with alug,

through which is passed ascrew-rod, I, provided with thumb-nut I. The lower end of the screw-rod I is formed into ablock, g, which receives and is connected to one end of a le-' ver, H. The other end of the lever is curved,

as shown at j, and rests upon a fulcrum, 15, cast with or otherwise secured to the upper plate, a, of the pressure device 0.

L is a strap or yoke attached to the plate a, embracing the plate 0, and provided with an adjusting set-screw,m,which is passed through the top of the strap and engages with the block 12. I

O is a stiff spring, one arm of which, 0, rests on the lever H, just back of the curved portion j and the fulcrum t, and the upper arm, 0 is held under the block 19 in the strapL, with which the adjusting-screw m engages.

The sliding movement of the friction device G is limited in its backward direction by the projection y of the block in which it slides.

B is aspring-dynamometer composed of the cylinder 1", the spiral spring 1' within the cylinder, the rod T to which one end of the spiral spring is secured, and a screw-rod, rflto which the opposite end of the spring is connected. The outer end of the rod r is hooked to abolt inserted in and extending between the horizontal arms D at The screw-rod 1" extends through the bottom of the cylinder inclosing the spring, and is provided with an adj ustingnut, r. The cylinder 9" is provided with a centralslot, a graduated and numbered scale, s, and an index-finger, .9 on the rod 11 projects through the slot and slides over the graduated face of the scale.

V represents a pair of stout bars with nuts on screw-rods secured to the frame, as shown, and which bars can be closed together to clamp and hold the wire at that point on the stopping of the winding, or for mending the wire or uniting it with another.

V is a roller over which the wire passes before reaching the gun or cylinder upon which it is to be wound. It is mounted upon a short bar sliding over the screw-rods, and may be adjusted to any desired height by nuts upon the rods, as shown. The relation of this roller to the object upon which the iron is wound is shown in Fig. 7.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The wire is passed from a reel between rollerguides (not shown and not forming a part of mo the machine) to the device 0, between the pressure-plates a 0' thence to the ring B,

around which it is given two or three turns; then freely through the gripper V, and over the roller V to the object to be wound, which object is supported and turned by any suitable mechanism. The tension of the wire is produced by friction in passing, first, between the pressureplates c and c,and,s econd,around the ring 13. It will be evident that the friction in passing around the ring will depend upon the tension produced by the pressure on the wire in passing between the plates and c. The tension at which the wire is to be wound upon the gun or other object having .been predetermined, the spring-balance is set at the desired point by turning the screw-nut 1 until the finger s of the balance-rod points to a predetermined figure on the graduated scale indicating strain slightly less than that to which the wire is to be subjected. The adjusting-screw m is then turned so as to compressthespring(),bywhichpressureisbrought upon the lever H, bearing on the fulcrum t. Pressure is thus brought upon the wire lying between the pressure-plates c and c, which pressure must be sufficient to produce by friction between them conjoined with that induced by the sliding of the wires around the ring 13 a tension equal to that predetermined, and when such action is communicated to the dynamometer through the arm D the indexfinger s will be brought to the point on the scale denoting the intended strain.

If the coefiicient of friction could be de pended on to remain constant,the adjustment already described would be sufficient to secure uniformity of tension to the wire drawn through the machine; but the relation between pressure and friction is found to vary to an undesirable extent, even under the most favorable circumstances, and it becomes necessary to provide a means for varying the pressure to correspond with the varying coefficient of friction. In the device herein described this adjustment is effected by means of the rod G, pivoted at f to the oscillating ring B, and its connections with the lever H. Should the strain during the operation of winding be increased beyond the point at which the apparatus has been adjusted, in consequence of the variation of the coefficient of friction or other cause, additional strain is immediately communicated to the large ring 13, around which the wire is passed,which ring, beingpivotally supported on the frame, as heretofore described, is at once given a slight oscillating movement sufficient to raise the vertical bar G, pivoted to the ring, and carry slightly upward with it the lever H. The action of the spring'O is thus opposed, and the frictional pressure of the upper plate, 0, of the device 0 upon the wire is thus to a certain extent relieved. WVhen the tension is corrected, the oscillating ring isdrawn back to its normal position by the opposing action of the springdynamometer B and the normal condition is restored.

In order that a diminution of the coefficient of friction below the normal which sometimes occurs) may also be provided for, the pressure of the spring 0, conveyed to the wire between the plates 0 and 0, may be made to exceed slightly that required to produce the intended tension on the wire, and the adjustment of the nut on the screw I be made such that the lever H will be brought into operation in the way already described when the tension shall have brought the index to the proper place on the scale of the spring-balance. It will be readily seen that by this arrangement, should the friction and consequently the tension of the wire slightly decline, a slight retrograde oscillation of the ring B would occur and result in increased pressure on the wire between the press ure-plates c and 0, so that the decline of tension would be limited to the small amount required to relieve the lever from the action of the connectingrod G. By the automatic action of the device above described the tension is rendered nearly constant.

In order that the device 0 may act with as much uniformity as possible in causing the amount of friction desired upon the wire, it

is requisite that the pressure upon the wire between the plates 0 and 0 should be as evenly distributed as practicable. This I accomplish either by fitting the elongated blocks 0 and 0 which constitute the ways on which the wire travels, into rectangular cavities in the plates 0 and 0, (or at c,) so that they shall move freely, and at the same timebe water-tight, (with the aid of packing, if need be,) and rest against afiuid inclosed in the before-mentioned cavities, or with less close fittings of the blocks 0 and c, by substituting for theliquid soft rubbar, which behaves, when confined and under considerable pressure, practically as a liquid and distributer pressure in the hydrostatic way. I prefer the latter method, because the less ready flow of rubber through small cutlets renders unnecessary the close fitting and care required for the confinement of liquids under pressure. The position of the rubber is shown at c".

The function of the roller vflinterposed between the tension device and the object to be wound, is not simply to change the direction of the wire, but, in combination with the device by which high tension may be obtained, to secure as perfectly as practicable equal tension on all parts of the cross-section of a wire when wound on a gun or cylinder. As ordinarily wound, the exterior portion of the iron is brought under a greater stress than the interior, because the elastic extension of the exterior portion is greater in consequence of the increased diameter of the circle to which it conforms. By bending the wire under strong tension to the proper degree (which may be regulated by raising or lowering the roller over which it passes) the convex surface of the wire receives an extension which permanently elongates the interior fibers of the iron, and in that way accomplishes this object, it being essential to this end, of course, that the curvature acquired in passing over the roller shall be in the same direction with that finally acquired in winding.

It is proposed to cover the surfaces over which the wire passes, either the wheel B or elongated blocks 0 and c of the device 0, with pasteboard, or any other material found suitable, for giving a nearly uniform friction, or for easy replacement of worn parts.

The machine may be used without passing wire around the ring or wheel B, when that wheel will act only as a part of the self-regulating apparatus.

In place of the spiral spring in the dynamometer, its equivalent may be used as a spring of another form, or weights or pressure upon a piston.

It is evident that this dynamometer, in connection with the pressure-distributing device, can be employed for similar purposes in other machines. It is also evident that this apparatus is applicable to the winding of cords and bands as well as wire.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. An apparatus for adjusting and equalizing the tension of wire, cords, or bands, comprising, in combination, an oscillating wheel, around which the wire is passed, a dynamometer for determining the amount and force of strain, a pressure-distributing devicefor checking the wire and distributing the pressure thereon, and a spring-lever for controlling the action of the said pressure device, and mechanism for operatively connecting said devices, substantially as described.

2. In a tension apparatus, the pivoted oscillating wheel around which the wire is passed on its way to the object to be wound, as and for the purpose described.

3. A tension apparatus provided with a pressure-distributing device consisting of one or more freely and uniformly yielding and sliding surfaces, between which the wire is passed, substantially as described.

4. The pressure-distributing device consisting of the plates provided with blocks, be-

tween which the wire is passed, in combination with a practically liquid medium, such as soft rubber, confined in a close cavity behind the said blocks to uniformly distribute the pressure, substantially as described.

5. In a tension apparatus, in combination with the oscillating wheel or ring, the springdynamometer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a tension apparatus, the dynamometer R, in combination with the sliding pressure-distributing device 0 and mechanism for operatively connecting said devices, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a tension apparatus, in combination with the oscillating wheel, the bar G and adjustable lever H, the adjustable spring-bar O, and a wire friction pressure device, substan tially as described.

8. In ahigh-tensionwire-winding apparatus, in combination with the object upon which the wire is formed in coils, the roller interposed between the object to be so wound and the tension mechanism, over which roller the wire is passed and bent under tension in the direction of its final curvature, whereby the metal of the exterior of the coils formed upon the object is extended, and equal tension on all parts of the cross-section of the wire, when wound and continued under strain, is approximately obtained, substantially as herein set forth.

9. In a tension apparatus, in combination with the oscillating ring or wheel around which the wire is passed, the pressure-distributing and friction device and connectingarm, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. \VOODBRIDGE.

Witnesses:

H. W. HALL, W. H. DOOLITTLE. 

